Tyson Fury is PROUD of Anthony Joshua and is ‘100 per cent’ sure he will fight fellow British heavyweight before retiring
Tyson Fury told talkSPORT he is proud of what Anthony Joshua has achieved in his boxing career and says his fellow Brit should feel no shame about his defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr.
In one of boxing's biggest ever upsets, Joshua lost his WBA, IBF & WBO world heavyweight titles to Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden in June.
He will look to avenge that loss - the first of his professional career - in Saudi Arabia on December 7 and, ahead of that rematch, Fury spoke positively about AJ.
Speaking on the Sports Breakfast, the Gypsy King said: "You can only do your best in life. You can’t please everybody.
"He tried his best, it wasn’t good enough on the night. He didn’t look right, he didn’t look like he wanted to be there for whatever reason.
"But it was what it was. You can’t do any better than your best and if it is not good enough there is no shame in that. The shame is not doing it in the beginning, not following your dreams. But he has done.
"He has changed his stars. Started from the bottom, straight to the top. He has done very, very well.
"I am proud of him as a person and as a sportsman.
“Ruiz is a top little fighting fella. Game as they come. It is a tough fight for anybody. People underestimate him because of the way he looks. You can’t judge a book by its cover.”
Boxing fans would love to see an all-British battle for the heavyweight crown between Fury and Joshua but will it ever happen?
“I believe 100 per cent yes. It has got to happen," said Fury, when that question was put to him by Alan Brazil and Ally McCoist.
“I have three fights left on my contract. Deontay Wilder is next and if Wilder wants it again, he can. Then I will fight the winner of Joshua and Ruiz Jr for sure."
The date with Joshua or Ruiz Jr could come as soon as February 22, according to Fury.
While Fury is due to meet Wilder on that date, the American could yet scupper those plans as he must first get through a rematch with Luis Ortiz on November 23.
When asked what his backup plan would be should Wilder suffer a defeat, the Brit told marvelbet369.com: “When one door closes another one opens.
“So if he loses, he loses. He’ll have a rematch with Ortiz no doubt.
“And I’ll look for the winner of Andy Ruiz Jr vs Anthony Joshua on the same date.”
Whoever Fury does face next, he is simply loving being part of the heavyweight division right now as he battles the likes of Wilder, Joshua and Ruiz for supremacy.
"It is a great division to be involved in. It is thriving at the moment," he said.
"The heavyweight division is back for sure to the glory days of the 70s and 80s.
"It was quite dull because the Klitschkos were so dominant over everybody, no one believed they could beat them or give them a fight.
"Now you have five, six, even ten top heavyweights all wanting to fight each other.
"It is a great time to be a heavyweight and the division is on fire."